Man Utd have the edge on Liverpool and Spurs in race for Danish defender

Lille centre-back Simon Kjaer is on several top club's wishlists this summer

Like Leandro Damiao and Loic Remy, Simon Kjaer is a player whose name has never been far from Premier League gossip columns throughout his career.

The Danish defender was first linked with a move to England way back in 2007 as a highly-rated teenager playing for Midtjylland.

A move to the Premier League didn’t materialise then, and Kjaer spent time at Palermo, Wolfsburg and Roma before settling at Lille.

Now 26, the centre-back has become an impressive fixture at Les Dogues, with the result that many of Europe’s top sides are reportedly chasing his signature again this summer.

Manchester United are leading the charge from the Premier League, with the Red Devils apparently keen on an £11m move for Kjaer as a bargain alternative to Mats Hummels.

A move to Old Trafford would disappoint Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, both also rumoured to be in the hunt for Kjaer this summer.

Last season, the Dane was a key figure in the Lille defence that conceded just 26 goals in Ligue 1, the best record in the French top-flight, helping Les Dogues claim third place.

This season Rene Girard’s have struggled, and sit eighth, but their backline has still impressed, with only Monaco and Lyon conceding fewer goals than Lille’s 26.

Louis van Gaal has struggled to settle on a regular defence in his first campaign at Old Trafford, starting eight different players at centre-back throughout the season.

After splashing the cash on attacking reinforcements last summer, United are likely to focus on their defence this time around, and Kjaer could well be near the top of their list.

After winning at Liverpool in their last match, the Red Devils are in an excellent position to seal a top-four spot this term, but will have to be wary of complacency in their next game at home to Aston Villa.

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